Setting timeout for read api

[Swaroop]

PLS HELP..I am working on socket programming as part of my final year
project. I want to know how to set a timeout on read api that reads
from a socket. Is it possible using SIGALRM signal?Will setting
O_NONBLOCK flag of the socket help? Is there any other way to do it?

 

[Paul Rubin]

PLS HELP..I am working on socket programming as part of my final year
project. I want to know how to set a timeout on read api that reads
from a socket. Is it possible using SIGALRM signal?Will setting
O_NONBLOCK flag of the socket help? Is there any other way to do it?

You could do it with sigalrm but more common is to set a timeout on
the socket (see the settimeout method in the doc). You could also use
select with a timeout, and not read until the select tells you that
data is available.

 

[David Schwartz]

You could do it with sigalrm but more common is to set a timeout on
the socket (see the settimeout method in the doc). You could also use
select with a timeout, and not read until the select tells you that
data is available.

Just don't forget to set the socket non-blocking.

DS